Testing instrument



Dec. 4, 1928.

R. ,B. LEWIS TESTING INSTRUMENT Filed Feb; 20, 1926' INYENTOH Patented Dec. 4, 192 8. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

sonar 1;. arms, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR mo rm rus OLSEN mnsrme mAcnnm COMPANY, or PHILADE PHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A concise TION PENNSYLVANIA.

Application and February 20, me. I ar a m. 88,780.

The present invention relates to force A measuring machines and more part cularly to a testing instrument for use with such machines.

5' While force measuring machines have reached a'high de ree of perfection as regards accuracy and results, there has been, heretofore, no simple and ready means for checking such machines for variations from 10 their" calibrated conditionv to ascertaln whether or not errors have crept in due to the generally heavy duty imposed uponma-' chines of this character. I

Some of the objects of the present inven- 15 tion are to provide an instrument for easily a I In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents a sideelevation of a testing instrument embod 'ng one form of the present in- 30 vention; an lf vation of the same,

Referring to the drawings, one form of the present invention comprises a distortable rin 10 formed of any suitable material, but 36 pre erably of steel, which is accurately machinedfor uniform section and carries at diametrically op osite points two bearing blocks 11 and 12 r receiving the pressure of oppositely acting forces.

or the purpose of indicating the' amount of deflection or elongation of the ring under load tending to com ress or elongate the rm and measuring suc distortion in terms wei ht, a vibratory member 13, such as a 45 re is suspended radially within the ring 10 being supported by screws 14 or any suitable fastening means, from a yoke 15 which spans the width of the ring 10 and has its two arms 16 connected respectively to ohpoese sitsides of the ring by screws screws 17 are threaded into the mug 10 on its neutral axis to avoid errors in the deflection, and for a like reason a clearance 18 is ig. 2 represents a sectional ele-" threaded into the yoke 26. t

the ring and the o posed face of the yoke 15. The arms 16 o the yoke are em- .ployed toreceivedowels 20 which seat re spect-ively in holes 21 of the bearing block 11 and [thus ensure the block 11 being cor may positioned.

The. free end of the-vibratory member 13 terminates in a knife-edged element 22 aligned with theconical end 23 of a micrometer screw spindlel24 which is threaded into a boss 250i a yoke 26 and has a reduced end portion to receive an operatin scale 27, circular in form. The latter is he d rigidly in place b a nut 28 threaded on the end of the spind e 24, and may be set to zero position with respect to the index 30 or other- W186, ad usted by holdin the spindle 24 against movement while oosening the nut r 28. A hole 31 in the spindle 2 4 forms a convenient means for inserting 9 suitable implement for so holdingthetspindle. A s ring parts 'firml for proper operation and a key diametrically opposite to the yoke 15 an arms 35' are fastened in the neutral axis of the rm '10 by screws 36, but with provision.

l'tB.

for a c earance 37 between the two Also the arms 35 provide sup its for owels 38 which seat in holes 40 0f t e bearing block 12 and ensure true. lacement of the latter. by screws'el The index 30 is rigidly held In order to cause the reed 13 to vibrate, a

pair of electro-magnets 42 are supported 'by a racket 43 from the yoke 15 so that their strip '46 fixed to the reed 13. Current for en-- ergizingjthe magnets 42 is supplied, in the present instance, by a dry battery 47, one

terminal of which is a movable thumb screw 48 which connects by a conductor 50 with the magnets 42; and the other terminal of which is the fixed pole 51 of the battery 47.

The battery 47 is supported fromthe yoke 15 by a clamp strap52 or any other suitable means.

In the operation of the instrument, the

micrometer 1s first set to zero, this being done .pressed nut 32 on the spindle 24'hol s the M i set the nut 28 is. tightened. When a comressive force is to be applied, the spindle 24 is turned to back ofl the end 23 from the end 22 to allow clearance for the movement of the end 22 caused by the distortion of the rin 10. Assuming now that a force is applied to the bearing block 11 so that it acts toward a the center of the rin" while the reacting force is applied through the bearing block 12 which rests upon a fixed base, the ring 10 will be under com ression. The compressive efiect of the applied force is to cause a deflectionof the ring 10 directl proportional to the amount of applie force. In order to measure the amount of deflection, the circuit of battery 47 is closed by moving the thumb lscrew 48 into contact with the terminal 51 and as a result the magnets 42 are energized and the make-and-break 45 and 46 causes the vibratory member 13 to oscillate at a uniform amplitude. With the member 13 in continuous oscillation, the micrometer spindle is turned in a direction to feed the end 23 toward the end 22 of the member 13 and when it contacts therewith an audible change of pitch ormusical tone of'the reed immediately occurs and thereby indicates that there is contact established between the two meeting ends. The readin on the scale 27 is then taken and the num er of degrees or variation from the zero position is representative of the applied force which has caused this particular deflection. For example, if the present instrument is used to test for accuracy a force measuring machine then this instrumentwill indicate, for example, by a deflection of one ten-thousandths of an inch that the applied force amounts to seventeen pounds, thus in the calibration of weighing machines with the present instrument for each weight of seventeen pounds a plied to the ring 10 there should result a. de ection of one ten-thousandths of an inch. In this way force testing machines can be accurately tested at any time to determine whether or not they are giving correct results and the test is not only simple and accurate but can be made by those ordinarily unskilled 1n the testing of such force machines.

By the provision of a vibratory element which is continuously vibrated with a uniform amplitude, a very exact and definite way oflocating the point of contact between the two opposed points is obtained and a very sensitive means of determining the amount of deflection results.

It will now be apparent that a complete unitary testing instrument has been provided wherein measurement of the distortion of a bod is proportionate to the external force app ied to the body and takes place through the medium of a vibratory element oscillatmg with constant amplitude. Furthermore while as here shown, the instrument is internally applied to a ring capable of deflection or elon ation according to the direction of the. a plied force, it may be used in a varietyo ways for measuring distortion and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the illustrative use shown.

While only a single formis shown in which this invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific construction, but mi ht be applied to various forms. without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having .thus described my invention, I claim: r

1. A-testin instrument coin rising aring a vibratory e ement suspende internally of said ring, an adjustable contact mounted in said ring opposite to and aligned with said element, and electrically operated means for vibrating said element whereby touching of said clement by said. contact is audible and indicates a distortion of said ring roportional to the amount of the external orce.

2. A testin instrument com rising a ring a vibratory e ement suspende internally 0% said ring, a micrometer mounted in said ring and havin an end aligned with said element, said end eing mova le towards and away from said element, and electrically operated means for vibrating said element to cause a changed tone when said end contacts with said element, whereby the deflection of said ringis determined under load.

' 3. A testin instrument comprising a distortable mem er, a vibratory element connected to one part of said member, an adjustable contact attached to another part of said member opposite to and aligned with said vibratory element but disconnected therefrom, and electrically operated means for vibrating said element whereby the touching position of said contact with said element is determined.

4. A testing instrument comprising a ring, a vibratory element associated with said rin means to cause said element to oscillate wit constant amplitude, an adjustable measuring device arranged to be brought into contact with said vibrating element to indicate by a change of pitch of said element when a contact is established, and a scale on said device for indicating the variation of said device from one position to contact position.

Signed at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, this 10th day of February, 1926. r

ROBERT B. LEWIS. 

